Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-06-22
Worse Than Poverty.

WOTbe 1HdH IONclly'
One of the witnesses during the lat,
investigation of the Union Pacific
railroad was asked in regard to ex'
Congressman John b. Alley, once
conspicuous as in the Credit Mobilliel
days. "He is dead" said the witness
ooh, nc" a bystander denied. "Nell
he's poor, and he might as well be
Dead" said the contemptuous witness
A speculator in Union Pacific securi-
ties, one who in any manner has used
that corporation, as it undoubtedly has
been used, for squeezing fortune out
of the United States treasury, has un-
doubtedly most profound conviction
that man had "better be dead than
be poor" To men who corrupt law
makers and prevent laws who scheme
and speculate on other peoples neces-
sites; who build up their fortunes
out of helpless taxpayers to such
men, poverty is indeed, worse than
death.
But there are other things which
even the majority of mankind, much
as they crave money, think worse than
poverty. To be hated and distrusted
by their fellow men to wear out soul,
mind ard body in the problem simply
of piling dollar upon dollar, bond up
OIL bond, is TO most men worse than
poverty. Moreover it will appear
strange to those who think man
might as well be dead as poor, that
there are hundreds and thousands of
men and women who would rather be
poets, artists and novelists, and pro-
fessors, historians, scientists, clergy
men and physicians even in poverty,
than to be rich and forced TO toll, and
worry, and cheat, and Cypress, and
humiliate, and despise their fellow
men rs many rich man does in his
pursuit Of wealth. There are thous-
ands of men who would rather indulge
their'simpfc tastes, or employ their
mental endowments. with small re-
turns in cash, giving pleasure to their
fellow creatures and living humble
but kindly and useful lives, than to
be rich in stocks and bonds but starv-
ing all their other faculties, their love
of learning, of beauty and benevo-
lence.
What lesson upon the canker and
the corruption of money does the his
tory of this same Union Pacific corpo-
ration furnish us How it tainted
and blighted regulations! How men
of untarnished names fell before it
members of congress, senators, vice
president, even presidential candi-
idate A few years ago one of the
staunchest critics and assailants of
the power of railroad corporations
was Charles Francis Adams, of Mas
sachusetts. His papers, his utterances
were bold and scourging. He was
fearless in his attacks upon the ras-
cally methods by which railroad spec
ulators and wreckers acquired their
fortunes. To spike his guns he was
made vice president of the Union Pa
cific road. He has never fired shot
since. Now former friend says of
his appearance at the Pacific railroad
investigation
Adams has secumbed to the greed
for money, which seems to be sapping
the moral foundations of our society.
He seems to be mere fgure-head
for ship steered by pirates. Think
of his turning to the counsel Of the
Union Pacific railroad company when
he was asked whether he did not
know a certain transaction was wrong
and saying, Judge Dillon is the keep
er of my conscience in that matter"
What would his father, his GRANDPA
Their, or his great grandfather have
said to that flippant evasion of moral
responsibility?
Some men would rather be poor
than have such things said of them.
Poverty" which IN the vocabulary
of Pacific railroad grabber, means
no restitution, but working for ones
liying--is better than to be talked
about with scorn and contumely for
having ones conscience chloroformed,
his mouth sealed and his pen paralyz-
ed by the malaria of ill-gotten wealth.
Detroit Journal